novelraw Chapter 460 - 1: Assassin
Chapter 460 - 1: Assassin
"Yes."
Yuanxing bowed:
"Please take your time, benefactor."
*
*
*
The wheels rumbled.
Seeing the Fang Mansion’s convoy approaching, the pedestrians on the official road hurriedly stepped aside, lowering their heads, not daring to look too much.
This was the Fang Mansion!
Gu’an County was famed for its mountain goods, timber, textiles, and porcelain.
Among them,
The Fang Mansion monopolized the major share of textiles and porcelain.
It could even be said that over ninety percent of the textile and porcelain businesses in the county town were owned by the Fang Mansion.
Even in mountain goods and timber, they had a presence.
Among the porcelain kiln outlets in the mountains, eight out of ten carried the Fang name, and nearly half of the townspeople in the city relied on the Fang Mansion to make a living.
Outside the city, there were countless fertile lands and innumerable tenant farmers.
Rather than saying the Fang Mansion was the greatest noble family in Gu’an County, it might be more accurate to say Gu’an County belonged entirely to Fang Zheng.
The county’s officials,
Which one did not receive dividends from the Fang Mansion’s businesses?
With just one word from Fang Zheng, even the County Magistrate of Gu’an County had to obediently comply, or else their position would not be secure.
Civil servants,
He could dismiss or appoint them with a single word.
The status of being the overlord of the county town was not just mere talk.
"Creak...creak..."
The wheels turned.
As they approached the city gate, Wu Hai, who was driving the carriage, shouted loudly:
"Mr. Fang Sr. returns to the city!"
With this command, the defending army at the city gate hurriedly drove away the nearby commoners, vacating the city gate area completely.
Exclusively for the Fang Mansion’s convoy to pass through.
Only after the convoy entered the county town and moved away were the commoners allowed to enter and exit the county town.
This grandeur,
The townspeople were long accustomed to it.
Fang Zheng lifted the blue satin curtain of the vehicle and looked toward the streets of the city.
Gu’an County was an Upper County, with a large population and thriving trade. The houses in the city were mostly built with bricks and tiles.
Occasionally, there were wooden pavilions.
However, there were also impoverished families, using mud for walls and straw for roofs, which could barely shelter them from the wind and rain.
Mud walls mixed with straw, eroded by rainwater, made the surface uneven.
Many houses were connected in a row, vaguely discernible from the structures of previous dynasties, with a clear divide between the rich and the poor.
The pedestrians on the street were also varied.
There were laborers and farmers in short attire, luxuriously dressed merchants, and Jianghu people clad in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, with swords and knives at their sides.
As they passed through the market, the clamor suddenly increased.
Here, merchants from all around gathered, and people from various places came to sell their goods.
Various mountain delicacies, wild game, beast hides, and even handicrafts...
Bamboo pavilions, benches...
Candied haws, clay figurines...
Shops displayed long banners, selling rice, grain, oil, tea, salt, wine cloth, gold and silver pawnshops... everything was available.
Of course,
There were mostly porcelain and fabric shops.
Gu’an County was renowned for its Thunder Walking Red Porcelain and Yunzhi fabrics; most foreign merchants came for these.
These two,
Were entirely Fang Mansion’s industries.
"Mr. Fang Sr. returns to the mansion!"
Amidst the shouting, Fang Zheng alighted from the carriage, and the guards and servants orderly greeted him, bowing and saluting.
Only after reaching the backyard did he find some peace.
"Godfather!"
"Godfather!"
Two boys, just over ten, bowed in salute.
Fang Ping’an was a child Fang Zheng had found, without father or mother, once afflicted with many diseases as an infant, hence named Ping’an (peace and safety).
Now twelve years old, he already looked somewhat grown, yet his complexion was still somewhat pale.
He had a scholarly aura.
He was cultivating not Martial Dao, but Magic.
Thanks to the resources of the Fang Mansion, Fang Ping’an was already a High Tier Warlock, capable of casting Low Tier Magic unaided by external tools.
He was not far from becoming a Mage.
The other boy was named Fang Heng.
Fang Heng’s original name was Che Heng, and he was Du Qiaoyun’s child; he now bore Fang Zheng’s surname, renamed to Fang Heng.
Du Qiaoyun,
Was one of the two lady masters of the back courtyard of the Fang Mansion.
The other was Linghu Qiuchan of the Ling Family, whose union with Fang Zheng resembled more a marriage alliance between two major families.
Unlike Fang Ping’an, Fang Heng was sturdy and strong-minded, cultivating Martial Dao, having already developed True Qi.
An eleven-year-old Qi Refining Martial Artist...
Even among the most prestigious noble families, he was rare, showcasing his exceptional talent in martial arts.
"Hmm."
Fang Zheng smiled slightly:
"Did you finish your lessons today?"
"I finished them long ago." Fang Heng waved his hand, smiling broadly:
"Today, I held out against Master Duan for seven moves; Master Duan even praised me for being smart and adaptable."
"Not bad."
Fang Zheng nodded, habitually advising:
"Do not get arrogant."
"Hmm."
Fang Heng nodded.
Fang Ping’an seemed a bit shy, not very talkative, just clutching the thick book in his hands.
"Go play."
Fang Zheng did not mind, as long as the two kids’ nature was not bad, he found other things irrelevant.
An introverted personality was no flaw.
He went to the rear hall.
Du Qiaoyun and Linghu Qiuchan were already waiting.
Over the years, Du Qiaoyun had visibly aged, the hardships of her youth had taken their toll, and no amount of nourishment could reverse it.
Additionally, her cultivation base was too weak, and in the past two years, she had developed many health issues.
In contrast, Linghu Qiuchan had already cultivated True Qi and had not born children, thus her condition was much better.
"Master!"
"Husband!"
The two women came forward to help Fang Zheng remove the cape from his shoulders.
Du Qiaoyun felt unworthy of Fang Zheng and had always called him master, never changing over the years.
"Master Wuyuan sent a few taels of Spirit Tea."
Fang Zheng sat down, letting Linghu Qiuchan massage his shoulders:
"Qiuchan, send it to your father with my congratulations for his attainment of no leaks and securing his position in the Prefecture City."
"What’s so good about the Prefecture City? I don’t understand why my father insists on moving there." Linghu Qiuchan shook her head and asked:
"I heard something happened on the mountain?"
"Hmm." Fang Zheng nodded:
"I encountered two assassins from the Seven Kills Sect who aimed to assassinate me."
"Ah!"
The two women’s faces changed drastically, Du Qiaoyun even paused in sorting clothes, looking over with concern.